Prime Minister David Cameron was recently quoted as saying: “The drive for more women in business is not simply about equal opportunity, it’s about effectiveness.”
Despite this bold statement, it seems that women across the country are still finding the work/children balance extremely difficult.
Research was conducted by the Guardian newspaper, who spoke to 2,000 mums about the challenges faced by working mothers, especially those returning to work after having a baby.
Shocking statistics were thrown up by this report, which plunge the issue of women’s wellbeing in the workplace, as well as the general corporate wellness, into doubt. The research highlighted the fact that, on average, mothers returning to work after having a baby were earning £9, 419 less per anum than before they gave birth.
It also revealed that an incredible 70 percent of working mums surveyed said that they felt they were now working in a job that was ‘beneath them’ i.e. one that they are over-qualified for and would not previously have considered.
The recent announcement by Coalition Leader, Nick Clegg, that parental leave will soon become flexible, enabling parents to share taking time off to care for a new addition to the family, is an important step in the right direction to enable mothers to make the same career progression as fathers.
Many people need to work, despite also being a parent, and that need should be facilitated in all workplaces. The value that female employees have within an organisation should also be valued, recognising the time, too, that has been spent training them and integrating them into the company.
Flexibility was also a key issue, with 65 percent of women saying that they struggle to maintain a good work/home balance. Advances in technology should allow these mothers to work more from home or in a flexible way that fits around their needs (and with a recognition that childcare in the UK is one of the highest rates in Europe). Women need to be more empowered – not shut out from the workplace simply because they are also mothers.
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